Water heater



Sept. 4, 1951 c. R. BERNSTROM 2,553,975

I WATER HEATER Filed Nov. 9, 1949 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l l'z den or: lceernsram Sept. 4, 1951 c. R. BERNSTROM WATER HEATER 2 Sheets-311661, 2

Filed NOV. 9, 1949 [n enar.- larenceR.er1zsham By @wat n/Qforlzeysx Patented Sept. 4, '1951 unir-ED.- sffmrssi em sNe'ro-FFICE ClareneewR.-v Bernstrom, East Greenwich, R. 1.1

Application-Nevember 9, 1949, Serial "No: 126;'351" 6 Claims:

This: invention relates` tot hot-water l' systems; particularly Vfor:` domestief-'usef andfconsists in fan improved-indirect 'waterr heater of? the soeoalled tankless-vtypes:

Onek1 object lof. "thel invention is.- to: provide an improved 'wateri 'heaterf adapted forv attachment tofanywusualfltype'fof cboiler for fi'irnish'ing-A an in.- stantaneous supplyof lhot Water viorfdomestic or other uses."-v

A'notherobjeet is to-vprovideaf-Water'- heater of compact constructionM comprising-fa maximum number of f' heating? coils 'capablefoff.- furnishing af-continuous'supplynot hotfwaterfwith'out Ythe'luse off-ila" storage tanks" Another ob'j eet `is to .provide alf-water l heater. of the type indicated embodyng an improved oon-l f structionoft headers:fon'connecting: :the ends of# theimlultiplescoils twithoutirequiring @separate rrita.. ziiligs L suela-asfA U -bends ,eellcows,LJ nipples and; the

Another object -is'to"prov-ide -a .water heater :in-

Whchfthei-'h'eaders vmayVA be=construotedf asA caStingsfrequiringY only:.a,-...minimum` of:v machining operations` andiin. which .i removable.. separators.: maybe-'employed ,'aspartitioningvmeans torn-cons. neiotng the.ends1ior:fthe=coilsin series:

Another. object r is tof providea water heateriV infwhichfthe eseparators: are readily;l removable.: for;V4 draining:fthe:l coils-:i:

Anotherfobjectfis l5to n,provide` a' .water heaterl in.; Whichithepartsrmay 'be sreadilygdisassembled 'for cleaning: and; quickly 1- reassembled; to put-y the.-` heater.; into conditionwffor fuser- Further; obiects of itheninvention are-iset forth .i ifi-ftherfollowinaz-speeieation vwhich describesaV preferred if orm aof construction ori-my. improvedw Water;heaterfasgeillustratedrbyfthe accompanying:- drawings.- In1,-the.=drawings::

Fig.;1.is:all-partesectionalfviewn` ofuthe. improved heate taken:vingtherfverticalplane otfits'axis;

FgQIZtisa-fplan view oft-the-:samefwith the shell an outer shell or casing 2'; Vpreferably off: cylin's* d-rical form, and"-made in#l tWo-:halfsectionsx bolted together at lthe center-'to adaptthemitoib'ef" takeny apart? for cleaning.-` the.:-interiorr: off: the:` casing;7 AsshoWn-.in "Figs: 1 andrZ; the CQQperai'L-fv ing marginal .edges-A oi the.v semicylindrical. seee y tions .3 and #i l of fthe -shell T2.' are 'formed :with lsurff rounding flanges 'l'and SL-Which-mayrbeffastened together lovv aseriesof vooltsifi and :nutsS-S "ispaced therealong With sutablel. packing, .indicated i at' inserted 'between'ftheiriabuttinglfaces to-f0m a'v water-tight joint: One ahalisection Grofttheg shell-"creasing 2 mayloe:f0r.ined.with` flanged.'A openings 1i @andi-I I interiorlythreadedtoireceive# the ends of pipes :for Econnecting the; heaterftoa: boiler; the upper openingzrl {l-.beings constituted:` as the-inlet :andthe lower. opening..l I I as; the out-f Y let-v for the :boiler water. The voppersitef; halfseoe tion of 'the shell '.2 has -flanged'iopenings IZand'i'.- I3 bored tolreceive the'sereW-thr'eaded endsaoti two4 parallel tubular: headers I 4s and I 5; which: extend horizontally. Within; the'finter-ens 0f-zv the; shell.` 'Eiat topi .an-d; 'bo'ttomz thereof.-

The u two i headers are: ofisubstantially fthexsarnef:construe tion except that the upper header I4 maytbeflong enough: to reach substantially;- the: fullf. distance across theinterior .ofi the shella twhiletheflowerfz header I5:is off'shorter. length.;

As :one feature Mathe-.present:improvement fthe-ftubular headers.V I4 and I5; are constructed.. in.v the yforni-of f castings; and .provided with lateral openings'. for receiving the fendsf ofothe; heating. coils; thereby;` entirely'. eliminating the s useVv ofv separate:fittingsf-ionconnectingvthe 'coils gtherete". inf'series;Y The upper.header-l` Iltis 'formed-ratene.v end:v with: an :annular ange I6 -.arnl..v a: slightly enlarged threaded extensionennipples I 1 -for-in ysertion throughthewopening., I2 in thesectioni.Y offlthefshell 2, seef'Fig: 1. A-nu-t I3 soreWed.-onto-= the threaded extension-z4 I'I` serves.1 to.clainprthe,I Alange.- I Sesnugly against .the interior ofthe: shellsection htofrigidlycsupport ythefheader. I4 exa tending horizontally across the interiorY of..v the shell 2.- The lowerheaderldspf ,thesametgen-l.

veral constructionl having a-..1lange.. I9..with athreadedvfextenslonnl. for insertion through .thef opening` adjacent ,the V.bottom ofthe .shel -section 3yr/ithA a nu-tfilfscrewed thereonto for secure lnggthis element in.horizontalposition Within.the.. shell; Preferably,- theainteriorstof -theextensions f Il and 2Q are threaded for connecting thefl'iead.n erswithi the piping; `s ysterniorthe hot Waterfsupply zof af residence ttor.1:othersbuildinrzn As shown `iniFigs.'y liand 2; theiheatingscoilsznrr.

arefof helical. or"spiralnformaarranged .lverticallw 3 in nested relationship and connected in series between the two headers I4 and I5. As herein illustrated, a set of five interconnected coils are employed grouped in compact arrangement one within another and spaced at a distance apart to provide for circulation of the heating water between the sides of the coils. Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, the lower header I5 is connected to the domestic hot-water system to provide the intake for the heater through the extension 20. The header I5 is provided with a series of ve openings for receiving the terminal portions of the five coils designated a, b, c, d, and e. The opposite terminal portions of these coils are fitted to similar openings in the side of the upper header I4, the sides of both 'headers being provided with part-circular bosses 25, as shown in Fig. 4.

Both headers I4 and I5 are formed with axially-extending interior. bores 21 and 28, respectively, which may be cored out in the castings and suitably machined to render them straight and true. To connect the ends of the several coils in series with separate paths of ow therebetween the present improvement provides for inserting separators or partitioning means into the bores 21 and 2B of the headers I4 and I 5. As has been stated, the bottom header I5 forms the intake for the water to be heated, being connected to the service piping as previously exl plained. To provide separate paths of flow for the water between the ends of the coils in the header I5 partitioning means or separators 3i! are spaced along its interior to divide it into compartments. The separators or partitioning means may be in the form of relatively thin metal disks fitting the bore 28 of the header I5 and xedly secured to an axially-extending rod 3I, the end of which is fastened to a screwthreaded plug 32. The plug 32 terminates in a square nut 33 by which it may be screwed into` a threaded opening 34 in the enlarged end of the header I5 With the rod 3| projecting therefrom to maintain the disks 30 in spaced relationship in the header.

The opposite end of the rod 3| may be screwthreaded forconnection with a third disk 35 formed with an interiorly-threaded neck 36 for receiving the threads on the rod. The disk 35 is provided with a slot 3'! for receiving a screwvthrough the heater; the number and size of the openings being subject to variation in accordance with the rate of ow desired. The two partitioning disks 30 and the baille-disk 35 are so located along the rod 3| that three separate and distinct compartments are formed within the bore 28 of the header I5, see Fig. 3. The first compartment 40 communicates with the intake end of the outer coil a; the second compartment 4I communicates with the ends of the twol coils b and c to provide a path of flow therebetween; and the third compartment 42 forms a separate path of ow between the two inner coils d and e, so that with a similar arrangement of partitioning in the upper header I 4 the coils are connected 1n series.

The coils are connected in series in the upper header I4 in the manner as next explained. Inserted into'the bore 2'I of the header I4 are two separators or partitioning elements 45 ilXedly secured to an axially-extending rod 46 which is fastened at its end to a plug 41 screw-threaded into the orifice in the enlarged end of the header and provided with a square terminal nut 48. The two partitioning disks 45 thus divide the end of the header I4 into two separate compartments and 5I as shown in Fig. 3. The outer coil a and the next inner coil b enter the head I4 in communication with the compartment 5B whereby the water from the coil awill debouch thereinto and flow therefrom back into coil b. On the other hand, the water from coil c will debouch into the compartment 5I to flow into the coil d while the water from the inner coil e will debouch into the remainder of the bore Z'I of the header I4, which is not compartmented, so that it will deliver therefrom to the intake end of the hot water system connected thereto.

The outer coil a is thus arranged to receive the service water entering the compartment 48 in the header I5, wherefrom it flows through the whole length of this coil (the multiple spiral turns being eliminated from the showing in Fig. 3 for the sake of clarity) and debouches at the end thereof into the compartment 50 at the end of the header I4. The flow of the water is thus continued through the coil b back to the header I5 where it debo-uches into the compartment 4I and thence flows into the end of the coil c. The flow continues through coil c with the water debouching into the compartment 5I of the header I4 to flow back therefrom through the coil d whence it debouches into the compartment 42. From the compartment 42 the water' flows into and through the coil e to'debouch at the end thereof into the bore 21 of the header I4 which is open to its left-hand-end In this way the water will ow through all the coils to enter the service system in heated condition, from which it is supplied to the taps or faucets of the building. The method of operation of the complete water heater is described briefly as follows:

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the heater is located adjacent the boiler and attached thereto below the low waterline therein. A suitable pipe leading from the boiler is connected to the inlet II) at the top of the section 4 of the shell 2 and another pipe connected to the outlet I-I at the bottom of the shell for return of the water to the boiler. The heater is connected in the service water supply system by suitable ttings leading to the inlet I3 at the bottom andthe outlet I2 at the top of the shell 2. With the boiler water maintained at a temperature of from to 212 l5'.v its heat will be conductedV through the copper tubing of the coils within the shell to heat the water flowing therethrough. The water in the service piping flowing through the inlet at the bottom of the heater enters the header I5 with its rate of now controlled by the bailie disk 35 in accordance with the number and size of the openings 38 therein; it being understood'that the rate of flow may be regulated in proportion to the water pressure by substituting baille disks of different capacities. The water is admitted into the compartment 40 of the header I5 to flow through the outermost coil a in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. Ascending the coil a the water debouches from its end to enter the compartment 46 in the upper header I4, whence it will flow back through the coil b to return to the lower header I5. The water debouches from the lower end of the coil b into the compartment 4I of the header I5 to enter the coil c, ascend therethrough and debouclr` A into the @compartments 5 l.: offtheevupper: header. I 4'; .J The: fiowa.: is f their.: reversed downs through'qthe. coilrd tordebouch' intofthe scomparire.; ment v4 2 :whencesitcflows l into; the innermost icoil.` e-toJ-.deb-ouch ataits -upper1 vendl in the-bore 2'l1roi.i the: headerrl .to-afeed to ythe V-ser.vice3=.systemein'.r heated condition.- Ingthis Wayr` ai substantially; continuous; circulation.::mayr` talezrplaoe.l througlr the several. heatingcoilsvto. raisethetemperature ofrfthe rwaterrtoftheirequired: .degree;=as it ieeds to thexservicesystem.` The 'capacity'of :the heaterr; mays=be:..varied.fin :accordanceffwitharequirementsf.: byzincreasingzsthe: areaof the-:coill 'su1fface-swithar proportionate `increase in.: the z-size eof, fthe; shell Afor z' casing:V Witlrv forced boiler Waten fcirculatiorr; through the heater fi-ts. capacity maysbeincreasedi one-.tlflirdA above .-its.:gravity.rating.

While the system employed in the present heater is generally Vsimilarto thosefnow in use, thef present .improvement lconsists in constructional features to render the heater.. more-economical tomamiiacture with itspartseasier and more convenient Ato assemble Whileincreasing its over-all feiciencyn The coils venter the headers: in substantially .straight courses Withoutvfthe fuse of. separateflttings. such-.as @.Unbends, elbows-and the` like, .this .feature making. for. economyf..;by eliminating Vthe extra..elements :andathe labo'rz'foi tapping; threadingand..installing-thema= Atithe same time,l the. headers :aref of ATsimple straighte forward construction requiring very little machining and with their interiors free from depressions or pockets liable to collect dirt and sediment. Instead of the usual ttings for connecting the outgoing and ingoing ends of the coil pipes a simple arrangement of disk-like spacers or partitioning elements are provided for insertion into the straight bores of the headers to divide the same into compartments, The separators or partitioning disks are held in place by screw-threaded plugs at the end of each header and may be readily and easily removed by unscrewing the plugs so as to Open the whole coil system for draining. The spiral coils are of gradual pitch to avoid collecting dirt and sediment therin and in this form they will not develop water hammer. The coil assembly may be readily removed from the shell or casing 2 in unitary connection with the two headers by releasing the nuts on their extensions and separating the two halves of the casing. The coils and the headers form a complete unit assembled without the use of wires, Washers, tin strips or the like to hold it together. The rate of Iiow of water through the coils can be adjusted according to the water pressure by simply substituting difierent haiile disks with the openings therein varied as required.

It will be observed from the foregoing specification that the present invention provides a particularly simple and compact construction of a tankless water heater capable of being manuactured at low cost yet having maximum eiiiciency for the purpose intended. While the device is herein illustrated and described in one preferred form, it is to be understood that variations may be made in the shape and arrangement of the parts of the heater without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

l. En a water heater, a casing having inlet and outlet openings for boiler water, a pair of headers extending across the interior o1 the casing in spaced-apart relationship and formed with longitudinally-extendinginterior '-cliambers for ,conernectionf-with a .service wateresystern; a plurality:r of *hel-ical.; coils arrangedv nested :relationship-.l within rfthelcasing with' 'their-'ends opening. into :L the'@interioru chambers :01 the opposite fl'readerS.-l

disk-like. pz-irtiticoingv elements in the.v interiors` 0f fboth'f headers tov divide their.: chambers` into separatescompartments rior: ccnnecting.- thelfendsV a off-iadziacentfcoils-inf series, andd'fneans `idrcon-.`

f. nectingthepartitioning elements in series withiny the-headers-ltol providefiorV the insertion and removal of series as afunit ZFVAntanklessf Water heater-comprising a twoe.

part`$- sectional casing, meansfor-'iastening-thef Asections together to form a water-tightenclof-fy sure, inlet and-'foutletfopenings1in the .casing for circulationV of A#bo-iler water therethrough, y a -fplu- -Y ralityf'of 'helical coils-disposed vertically inf nested4`` arrangementin thecasing; a pair-of hollow `heady ers v'exten-ding v`across the interior of l'the casing; and-through itsside --forconnection with a'water servicei-systemfsaidheaders `having lateral open- Y ings for 'receivingY the -ends v ofy the' coils to lconneet-'themA therebetween, partition elements fitr--V ted--=`tor the interior f or -the Aheaders;and meanscomprising axially-extending rods connectingthe partition elements in' series for 'removably' hold-v ing'gjsaid partition elements --in ispaced =re1ation -in -f thefinterior-of'thcheaders-to form compartments conneetinguthwendsA of -certainwof' the coilsin` series.

3. A tankless water heater comprising a twopart sectional casing, means for connecting the sections of the casing to provide a water-tight enclosure, inlet and outlet openings in the casing for circulating boiler water therethrough, a pair of headers each having its end inserted through an opening in the side of the casing and threaded to receive a nut for securing it in place extending horizontally across the interior of the casing, said headers provided with cylindrical bores extending longitudinally thereof and lateral openings communicating therewith, helical coils disposed in vertical nested arrangement in the casing with their terminal portions connected to the lateral openings in the opposite headers, disk-like partitioning elements fitted to the bores in the headers, axially-extending rods for supporting the partitioning elements in spaced relationship within the bores of the headers, and means for fastening the rods at the ends of the headers to hold the partitioning elements in place in the headers.

4. A Water heater comprising an outer casing having inlet and outlet openings for boiler water, a pair of headers of tubular construction having means at their ends for securing them in openings in the side of the casing for communication with a service Water system, a plurality of helical coils of tubing nested one within another in the interior of the casing withtheir ends connected to the opposite headers, plugs for closing the open ends of the headers, axial rods supported from said plugs extending longitudinally Within the headers, and a plurality of partition elements mounted in spaced relationship on the rods for dividing the interiors of thev headers into compartments communicating in series with the ends of the coils.

5. A Water heater of the tankless type comprising a casing, headers constructed as castings with longitudinally-extending bores and plural openings in their sides, means for supporting the headers in spaced relationship within the casing extending horizontally across its interior, a plurality of spiral coils disposed in vertical nested arrangement within the interior of the casing with the opposite ends of the coils held in the openings in the sides of the two headers, a plug screw-threaded into the open end of each header and provided with an axial rod projecting from its inner end, partitioning disks secured fast on each rod in spaced relation therealong for dividing the interior of the headers into compartments connecting the ends of the coils in series, and a baffle disk located in the inlet header in connection with the end of the rod and provided With restricted openings for controlling the rate of- 110W of Water into the header and through the coils.

6. In a Water heater of the tankless type, the combination of a two-part casing, means for securing the parts of the casing in connection to provide a water-tight interior, inlet and outlet openings in the casing for boiler water, inlet and outlet openings for water from a service system, a header connected at one end to the inlet opening for the service Water and extending horizontally partWay across the interior of the casing, a second header connected to the outlet opening for the service water and extending substantially the Whole distance across the interior of the casing, each header formed as a casting with a longitudinally-extending bore and a plurality of openings in its side, a series of spiral coils arranged in nested relationship within the interior of the casing with their lower ends secured in the openings in the shorter header and their upper ends held in the openings of the longer header, screw-threaded plugs insertable into the open ends of the headers and provided with rods projecting axially within their bores, partitioning elements secured to said rods in spaced relation therealong for dividing the interior of the headers into compartments connecting the ends 0f the coils in series, and a baffle disk having a screw-threaded connection with the end of the rod in the shorter header and formed with restricted openings for controlling the rate of now of the Water as it enters said header to circulate through the coils.

CLARENCE R. BERNSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 531,756 Whitlock et al Jan. 1, 1895 1,040,481 Worthington Oct. 8, 1912 1,124,096 Zastrow Jan. 5, 1915 1,382,670 Price June 28, 1921 1,825,433 White Sept. 29, 1931 1,862,707 Rifenberick et al. June 14, 1932 

